Authentication and Authorization¶

Authentication (proving identity) and authorization (granting access) mechanisms: password policies, MFA, JWT tokens, OAuth 2.0/OIDC, Kerberos, RBAC, and PAM. Covers both conceptual patterns and implementation.

Key Facts¶

Authentication = who you are; Authorization = what you can do
MFA factors: something you know + something you have + something you are
SMS-based 2FA is the weakest MFA option (SIM swapping, SS7 attacks)
FIDO2/WebAuthn hardware keys are the strongest consumer MFA
OAuth 2.0 is for authorization (access tokens); OIDC adds authentication (ID tokens) on top
NIST 800-63B recommends against forced password rotation - it leads to weaker passwords

Password Security¶

Password Policies (Modern)¶

Minimum 12+ characters
Complexity encouraged but not required (length > complexity per NIST)
Check against breach databases (Have I Been Pwned API)
No forced periodic rotation (NIST 800-63B)
Account lockout after failed attempts (5 attempts, 15-30 min lockout)

Password Hashing¶

# bcrypt (recommended)
import bcrypt
salt = bcrypt.gensalt(rounds=12)
hashed = bcrypt.hashpw(password.encode(), salt)
# Verify
bcrypt.checkpw(input_password.encode(), hashed)

// Node.js with bcryptjs
const bcrypt = require('bcryptjs');
const salt = await bcrypt.genSalt(10);
const hashed = await bcrypt.hash(password, salt);
const isMatch = await bcrypt.compare(inputPassword, hashed);

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)¶

Method	Security	UX	Notes
FIDO2/WebAuthn	Highest	Good	Hardware keys (YubiKey), phishing-resistant
TOTP	High	OK	Google Authenticator, Authy - time-based codes
Push notifications	High	Good	Mobile app approval
SMS codes	Low	Easy	SIM swapping, SS7 interception attacks

JWT (JSON Web Tokens)¶

Structure¶

Three Base64-encoded parts separated by dots: header.payload.signature

Implementation (Node.js)¶

const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');

// Generate
const token = jwt.sign(
  { userId: user.id, email: user.email },
  process.env.JWT_SECRET,
  { expiresIn: '24h' }
);

// Verify middleware
const auth = (req, res, next) => {
  const token = req.headers.authorization?.split(' ')[1];
  if (!token) return res.status(401).json({ error: 'No token' });
  try {
    const decoded = jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_SECRET);
    req.userId = decoded.userId;
    next();
  } catch (e) {
    res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid token' });
  }
};

NestJS JWT Strategy¶

@Injectable()
export class JwtStrategy extends PassportStrategy(Strategy) {
  constructor() {
    super({
      jwtFromRequest: ExtractJwt.fromAuthHeaderAsBearerToken(),
      secretOrKey: process.env.JWT_SECRET,
    });
  }
  async validate(payload: any) {
    return { userId: payload.sub, email: payload.email };
  }
}

OAuth 2.0 / OIDC¶

OAuth 2.0 - authorization framework (grants access tokens)
OIDC (OpenID Connect) - authentication layer on top of OAuth 2.0 (ID tokens)
Flows: Authorization Code (server apps, most secure), Client Credentials (service-to-service), Implicit (deprecated)

Kerberos (Active Directory)¶

Ticket-based authentication - no passwords sent over network: 1. Client authenticates to KDC (Key Distribution Center) 2. KDC issues TGT (Ticket Granting Ticket) 3. Client uses TGT to request service tickets for specific services 4. Service validates ticket without contacting KDC

Kerberos attacks: Kerberoasting, AS-REP Roasting, Golden/Silver Tickets (see active directory attacks).

LDAP¶

Directory service protocol for querying/modifying user databases. Used with Active Directory. Port 389 (plaintext), 636 (LDAPS).

SSO (Single Sign-On)¶

One authentication grants access to multiple services. Reduces password fatigue, centralizes access control. Risk: SSO compromise = access to everything.

Patterns¶

RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)¶

// NestJS Guard implementation
@Injectable()
export class RolesGuard implements CanActivate {
  constructor(private reflector: Reflector) {}
  canActivate(context: ExecutionContext): boolean {
    const requiredRoles = this.reflector.get<string[]>('roles', context.getHandler());
    if (!requiredRoles) return true;
    const { user } = context.switchToHttp().getRequest();
    return requiredRoles.some(role => user.roles?.includes(role));
  }
}

PAM (Privileged Access Management)¶

Password vaulting - encrypted credential storage
Session recording - audit admin sessions
Just-in-time access - temporary privilege elevation with approval
Credential rotation - automatic password changes
Break-glass procedures - emergency access with full audit trail

Gotchas¶

JWT tokens cannot be revoked once issued - use short expiration + refresh tokens
Storing JWT in localStorage is XSS-vulnerable; HttpOnly cookies are safer but need CSRF protection
OAuth implicit flow is deprecated - always use Authorization Code + PKCE
Kerberos clock skew > 5 minutes causes authentication failures
"Remember me" cookies must still be invalidated on password change